Unit 36: Partly Trained/Trained – Approach Junctions to turn right or left.

Research Material:
The Driving Instructor’s Handbook – Chapter 5
Driving: The Essential Skills – Part 8
Lesson Presenter
PST sheets
PST 7 – Approaching Junctions to turn either right or left/Pedestrian crossings and use of signals
PST 3 – Turn in the road/Approaching Junctions to turn either right or left
Examiner’s Part 3 Guidelines

Be aware of the distinct differences of teaching this to someone for the first time (phase 1), and providing extra training to someone who has already received training in the subject, but needs help with their knowledge, skills or attitude to the subject. Be aware that this subject should not need to include emerging from side roads/at T-junctions. On phase 1 be on the move after 10 minutes, on phase 2, 5 minutes.

Recap:
Phase 1: (1-2 minutes)
Work out whether your customer can drive away from their pick up point. And try to discover as much as possible about what they already know about junctions. Keep an eye on their cockpit drill and safety checks.

Phase 2: (3-5 minutes)
Your customer will have tackled these before, but as the purpose of the lesson is to help develop their ability you must discover the extent of their knowledge, skill and attitude to approaching junctions. With a phase 2 customer you will need to be prepared to deal with busier junctions paying particular attention to turning right across traffic. Use the main points from the phase 1 briefing as a starting point for your questions.

Objective: (30 seconds)
Phase 1:
To understand how to turn left and right at junctions, and to be able to perform these turns under guidance (specific, measurable and realistic). How do you feel about completing a few turns safely over the next 15 minutes? (agreed and timed)

Phase 2:
To enable independent turning at junctions (specific, measurable and realistic). How do you feel about aiming for that over the next 20 minutes? (agreed & timed).

Main Points: (5-8 Minutes – Phase 1 only)
Phase 1:
Remember this is the first time they will have attempted this properly, so cover everything necessary.

Practise:
Phase 1:
Once explained and agreed – full talk through will be necessary, and you will need to be ready for strange reactions – crossing traffic for the first time can be stressful, and inertia often makes early learners want to continue when they shouldn‘t. Be ahead of the potential problems, positive instruction (ahead of the game) is essential at early stages to avoid danger and loss of confidence in your learner. Once things seem under control encourage your customer to start to take the initiative (move to prompted from guided).

Phase 2:
Watch your customer carefully to determine the level of instruction to be used. Implement core competencies in the event of any faults, and use these to determine changes to the level of instruction. Once something is being done correctly, attempt to transfer responsibility to an independent driver.

Summary:
Feedback at this point is hugely important – carefully question your customer for their knowledge and attitude. Be enthusiastic about how it all went, but ensure that you put into place an action plan to deal with any problems with control or observations which you couldn’t fix during the time you had in the lesson. Remember to acknowledge any mistakes, but to keep very positive about both your ability and your customer’s. Give your customer ownership of what they have done by asking them where their weak and strong points are. Fill out their track record.

On your part 3 examination, the phase 1 will usually over-run leaving little or no time for a summary. If possible on phase 2 you should aim to call a halt a couple of minutes before the end in order to summarise.

Discussion Points:
The differences in Phase 1 and Phase 2 customers
Potential hazards and the dangers in both phases
Watching your customer like a hawk
Enforcing the MSM/PSL routine as firmly as possible